The Panda Post (Panda Keychains)

According to my brother, the TV Tropes website refers to any feel good, human interest segment that's shown at the end of a news broadcast as a 'panda story'. The way that pandas have been depicted in popular culture over the years has helped them develop a 'cute and cuddly' reputation. So I can sort of see the connection between pandas and any news story that is intended to give the audience a 'warm, fuzzy' feeling. In these difficult times, we could all use something to brighten our day and lift our spirits. So I'm centering this post around some, literal, panda keychains. Hope you enjoy.

First we have this keychain, featuring a photo of a panda named Mei Lan. The lettering on the back indicates that this keychain originally came from Zoo Atlanta.

According to my online research, Mei Lan is a male giant panda who was born in 2006 at Zoo Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia.

Here's another panda keychain. There are no manufacturer's marks on this one except for the word China on the back. I also can't remember exactly where I got this keychain, though I'm fairly sure I bought it second-hand. So there really isn't much I can tell you about this, except that it's cute.

And finally, this keychain from the Knoxville Zoo in Knoxville, Tennessee has a photo of a red panda on it. Despite the name, red pandas aren't closely related to pandas genetically. According to the information I found online, the closest living genetic relatives of red pandas seem to be raccoons and skunks. However both pandas and red pandas have similar facial markings and they both eat bamboo, which might help explain how red pandas got classified as pandas.

I hope these cute, panda keychains added a small 'bright spot' to your day. Stay safe and stay well.

Signed, Treesa